Corset-fastening



(No Model.)

N. B. WILLIAMS. CUR-SET PASTBNING.

Patented May 14, .1889..

W/f//EESES je ym UNITED STATES PATENT Crrrcn.

NATHANIEL B. WILLIAMS, OF BRIDGEPCR'T, CONNECTICUT.

4CORSET-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,166, dated May 14,1889.

Application led January 8, 1889. Serial No. 295,751. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL B. VIL- LIAMs,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCorset-Fastenings; and I do hereby declare the following to be full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such asy will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. y

Myinvention relates to an improved corsetfastening which is applicableto all classes of corsets, but which will be found of special advantag'ein connection with corsets worn with evening dresses or with any dressesmade of light thin material.

As corsets have heretofore been constructed it has been impossible toprevent the lacingcords from showing more or less through the materialof light or thin dresses. Vhere eyelets are placed near the edges of theback strips, this being the most common way of lacing corsets, the cordshave to pass overboth the inner and outer sides of the back stays-thatis to say, the cords must pass between the back stay and the person ofthe wearer, and must also pass between the outer side of the back stayand the dress, thus producing discomfort to the wearer and alsoproducing unsightly ridges down the back of the dress. It isv absolutelyimpossible to prevent these ridges of cord from showing through thedress unless the corset is covered by several plies of thick material,which it is, of course, desirable to avoid.

I am aware that lacing-eyes for corsets have been formed to projectinward from the edges of the back stays. They have not, however, been soconstructed as to prevent the lacingcords from showing. So far as I amaware these lacing-eyes have been placed in the vertical plane in thesame manner as eyelets are ordinarily placed. Lacing eyes formed in thisway, however, have no effect whatever in remedyin g the objection whichmy present invention is designed to and does obviate. I accomplish byproviding lacing-eyes, preferably slightly elongated, which extendinward from the edges of theback stays and which lie in the horizontalplane, so that instead of being bent inward and outward, as

This

in the present form, the lacing-cords pass straight down through, simplycurving from right to left between the edges of the lacingstays toengage the eyes upon the opposite sides of the opening at the back. Inaddition to this I build up the back edge of each section of the corsetvslightly, so that the edge itself is quite as thick as the lacing-cord,thereby avoiding the possibility of the lacingcord projecting above theedges of the back stays and wholly preventing the unsightly ridges inthe dress, which have heretofore been unavoidable.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a back view of a corset laced as when worn; Fig. 2, a verticalsection taken at the back edge of a corset and through one of thelacing-eyes; Fig. 3, a horizontal section across the opposite backstays, lacingeyes, and the cord; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detailviews illustrating different modes in which the eyes may be formed andattached to the back stays.

l denotes the inner and outer plies of the corset.

Instead of two plies of material, the bonepockets may, of course, beformed by stitching on overlays. That being a common way of makingcorsets is not deemed to require illustration.

2 denotes the back or lacing stays, and 3 the lacing-eyes attachedthereto and extending inward therefrom. These lacing eyes may be madefrom sheet metal, either singly or two or more in one piece, and rivetedto the back stays, or the eyes and stays may be made integral, as inFig. 7, or they may be made of coils of wire, the ends of the wire beingpassed through holes in the stays and clamped down, as shown in Fig. 6.It is essential, however, that, no matter how the eyes may beconstructed, they shall lie in the horizontal plane, so that thelacing-cords may be threaded straight down through, instead of throughfrom back to front, or vice versa, as in the ordinary way. In practice Ipreferably elongate the eyes, as shown in the drawings, for conveniencein lacing.'

The lacing-cord I have designated by 4.

5 denotes strips of canvas, paper, or other suitable thickeningmaterial, one or more of which may be used on each side of the back'stay to perform the double function of covering the rivets or attachingends, by which the lacing-eyes are attached to the back stays, and alsoot' giving increased thickness at the back edges of the corset withoutperceptibly increasing the weight. It will thus be seen that by causingthe lacing-eyes to project inward troni the edges of t-he corset in thehorizontal instead. oi the vertical plane and by slightly thickening theedges of the corset at the back I insure that the lacing-cords, even attheir 1nd-crossing, shall lie wholly below the outer surface of thecorset, so that no ridges can be formed by the cords, nor can the innerbends of the cords be forced against the person otl the wearer. Thelacing-eyes are ot course attached to the stays first and then thelatter are stitched in in the usual inanner, the eyes projecting throughopenin inade in the material of the corset, where it is passed aroundthe edge of the stay, as is indicated in Fig. 2. In the forni shown inFig. 7 Jthe stays are inade of lighter metal and double, the eyes beingformed by blanking out pieces ot nietal between the two parts, leavingthein connected by strips. The two parts are then placed parallel witheach other, the eyes being formed frein the strips. In this forni I haveshown the pieces 5, otf thickening inaterial, as placed between the twoparts of the stay.

llaving thus described my invention, I claiml.. The combination, with aeorsetlacing stay provided with projecting eyes extending beyond itsedge and open in the direction oit' the length of the stay, of stripsot' thickening material placed at each side of the stay and between thelatter and the corset fabric, to thicken the back edge of the corset, sothat crossed lacing-cords will not project outside of the outer i'ace ofthe corset, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a corsetlacing stay provided with projectingmetallic eyes extending beyond its edge and open in the direction of thelength of the stay, said eyes being iiattened in the plane ot the stayto form elliptical openings through which the lacing-cord can freelypass, of strips ot thickening material placed at the sides ot' the stayto thicken the back edge oi' the corset, so that the crossedlacing-cords will not project out-- side of the outer surface ot' thecorset.

In testimony whereof I atlix 1n y signature i n presence of twowitnesses.

NATHANIEL l. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

A. M. Woos'rni-i, .Erm F. IEtr'rrr.

